Movies

New Mortal Kombat posters reveal first looks at Lord Raiden, Shang Tsung, and more

The first trailer arrives this week!

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Published on February 17, 2021 08:46AM EST

The first Mortal Kombat trailer will arrive this Thursday, but before that happens, Warner Bros. has unleashed a series of motion posters that provide a first look at some of the characters.

Mortal Kombat, the first live-action movie adaptation of the popular video game franchise since 1997's Annihilation, stars Lewis Tan (Into the Badlands, Wu Assassins) as Cole Young, an original character. He's a down-on-his-luck washed-up MMA fighter who finds his luck even more on the down turn when a cryomancer warrior from Outworld (ahem, that would be Sub-Zero) is sent to attack him by the sorcerer Shang Tsung.

Actor Chin Han (Skyscraper, Ghost in the Shell) plays Shang Tsung, who is described by Warner Bros. as the emperor of Outworld. In the games, he used his magic to absorb souls to prevent the effects of a degenerative curse. This granted him the ability to shape-shift into his victims and access their powers.

Joe Taslim (Warrior, Fast and Furious 6) takes the iconic role of Sub-Zero, with the ability to control ice. Before he received his powers, he was known as Bi-Han, a warrior in feudal Japan whose clan was at war with that of Hanzo Hasashi (The Wolverine's Hiroyuki Sanada). This plays out in the opening sequence of the film. Hanzo later transforms into another famous game character, Scorpion, and their blood feud lives on.

Mehcad Brooks (Supergirl, True Blood) plays the metal-armed Jax Briggs, while Jessica McNamee (The Meg, Battle of the Sexes) portrays Sonya Blade.

In the games, both characters are members of a special forces unit that monitors other realms. In the film, Cole crosses paths with Jax in search of answers around a mysterious birthmark on his chest after his encounter with Sub-Zero. Jax directs Cole towards Sonya, who leads him to the Temple of an Elder God, Lord Raiden (Thor's Tadanobu Asano). Raiden grants sanctuary to anyone bearing the same mark.

Once inside Raiden's temple, Cole meets some of Earthrealm's greatest champions, all training for a high-stakes battle against the forces of Outworld. Those include Liu Kang (Power Rangers' Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (stuntman Max Huang), and a mercenary named Kano (House of Lies' Josh Lawson).

Sisi Stringer, a relative newcomer on the acting scene, plays Mileena, who has that kind of smile only a mother can love. She's a demented mutant clone of the fan-wielding Kitana, though it's currently unknown if she'll be making an appearance, as well.

Simon McQuoid directs the movie, based on a screenplay by Greg Russo and Dave Callaham, and a story by Russo and Oren Uziel. James Wan produces.

Mortal Kombat will be released simultaneously in theaters and for a 30-day period on HBO Max starting April 16.

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